global read aloud – Page 4

I am sure it will come as no surprise but I am passionate about bringing the world into my classroom. I think global collaboration and interconnectedness is vital in any child’s education. I also happen to be passionate about reading and reading aloud. All of this led to the creation of the Global Read Aloud 4 years ago and what started as a simple idea has grown into a massive world wide connection and collaboration event. And you should be a part of it!

Who is this for? Any educator who teaches K-12, homeschoolers, librarians or whomever wants to read and share one of our amazing three books with the world.

So what is it? The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible.

Why should you care? Because it promotes reading and global connections. Because your kids will love the idea that kids around the globe are listening to the same story as they are. Because the 3 authors, Sharon Draper, Geoff Herbach, and Kate Messner cannot wait to interact with the kids.

So how does it help me connect? Since the whole project is about connecting there is a network of teachers eager to connect and work with you in whichever fashion you feel comfortable with. Don’t believe me? Check out our Edmodo groups! The project doesn’t start until September 30th and they are already busy reaching out. (Here is a post on how to get to our Edmodo groups).

But what about the technology? Every year I use the GRA to introduce my students to various technological tools we will use throughout the year; Skype, Kidblog, Twitter, Edmodo and Google docs. Other people use other things as well – it is up to you. Because you decide how invested you want to be, you also decide which tools you would like to use. And the best part? You don’t have to know how to use the tools, we can help you!

What about after it ends? This is the brilliance of it, many people continue to use their same connections to collaborate and interact throughout the year. We have people set up smaller book clubs, some choose to do units together, and others become blogging buddies. Because the network is already set up it is easy to keep using it and you can use it for whatever you wish, it doesn’t even have to be reading related.

What are the book choices? 3 books this year for the first time: Marty McGuire by Kate Messner, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach. All meant to be a great read aloud that will make the kids think.

Where do I sign up? Right here!

What are the dates? The read aloud starts September 30th and ends November 11th. It is 6 weeks for the first time to give people more time to enjoy the text.

I am still not sure…go here, poke around, Google the project, and ask me questions. I would love to help you get connected for the year.

being me, global read aloud, Reading

Hooked on Books – I Was A Guest on the #NerdyCast

June 14, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest on the Nerdycast on Bam Radio Networks not too long ago and while the whole experience was a sheer delight, the fact that I got to speak about reading made it incredible. I even got to plug the Global Read Aloud!

So listen here or add it to your iTunes podcast list like I did. Nick and Tim have some pretty amazing guests and it always worth your time. I am just lucky I got to be a part of the Nerdy-awesomeness.

Be the change, global read aloud

Global Read Aloud and I Get a Bammy Nomination

April 11, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Those who know me know that I struggle with nominations, badges, and awards. I have no problem nominating others, I believe great people and initiatives should receive as much recognition as possible, but I tend to shy away from highlighting myself. That is not what I am here for.

In the past few weeks, tweets and Facebook posts have been propping up about the Bammy awards 2013. I know of the Bammys and have found myself conflicted with the self-nomination portion but at the same time excited that at least some people are trying to elevate people within education because my goodness someone has to.

This morning, in a week that has been nothing but tiring, I received news that I had been nominated for a Bammy by the academy behind it. At first, I was shocked, then very surprised. However, when I read the nomination and saw why they had nominated me I wanted to scream with joy. This nomination is now about me, but about the Global Read Aloud and that I can promote any day.

Here is an excerpt from the nomination, and yes, you can vote for me, but you don’t have to. But do join us in the Global Read Aloud 2013, because that is where the real magic will happen.

Amazed almost every day by the extraordinary initiatives launched by educators in the trenches that remain largely unknown despite the impact they are having. The work of Pernille Ripp under scores why it’s so important to broadcast whatis right in American education. Pernille is the creator of the Global Read Aloud. From her site:

The project was created in 2010 with a simple goal in mind; one book to connect the world. Now with three years under our belt and more than 30,000 connections made, we realize we are on to something larger than us so we look forward to continuing the global connections.

The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. In the past we have used Twitter, Skype, Edmodo, our wiki, email, regular mail, Kidblog, and any other tools we can think of to make these connections. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year.

How do you measure the instructional value of Pernille’s initiative? How is her level of passion and commitment captured in a standard teacher evaluation? Clearly, any teacher who manages to touch 30,000 lives is extraordinary. We are honored to nominate Pernille Ripp.

collaboration, community, global, global read aloud

10 Tips On How to Create a Global Collaborative Project

October 7, 2012 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

While the third annual Global Read Aloud is in full swing and more than 28,000 kids participating, I cannot help but be in awe. After all, as I have said many times, this idea seemed so simple, so minor when first discussed, and now here we are; 6 continents involved in reading the same two books and global connections being formed around the clock. So how do you get to this point, what is the secret? Well, I’m not sure, but here are some ideas:

Be simple! No collaborative idea ever took off if it required hours of explanation. The Global Read Aloud’s strength lies in its simplicity; read a book aloud and connect with others to discuss it. No convoluted rules, no disclaimers. And the core premise has not changed.
Make sure the idea is easily translatable. Both in explanation but also in doing. If it centers around a book make sure others can get it and that it wont cost them too much. Whatever you are collaborating around has to be easily accesible for educators all over and for varying skill levels.
Don’t make too many rules. If there are too many rules the project may get stifled. Relax and let the project develop, guidelines can be developed together and changed as needed.
Invite others to contribute ideas. Another reason I love the Global Read Aloud is all of the ideas being shared by people who are much smarter and much more creative than me. This is what has made the project so special to so many people; they are invested in it because they helped create it.
Don’t get stuck in a rut. After the first year of the Global Read Aloud I pondered whether we should use the same book year after year and then realized that it would be too easy that way. I love discovering new texts and must admit that I had not read “The One and Only Ivan” before its selection this year, now I count it as one of my favorite books.
Use the tools. We have an incredible array of technological tools available to us as educators and everybody feels comfortable with different things, so use them all or let people choose. Schools, in particular, often block certain things but it varies from school to school, so if you let people use many different tools to connect chances are one of those use will be accesible.
Create a community. We established our Edmodo community in June so people had time to get to know each other and create connections before the October 1st kick off. This has been valuable to many participating and the readiness level was more prominent this year than in prior years. So find a venue to create a community outside of the project; Twitter or Edmodo are great places to start.
Be accessible. I love connecting with people and I love helping out so make sure people can get a hold of you. I answer emails quickly, as well as tweets, and do my best to leave comments and showcase cool things people are doing. I am as much of a participant as everyone else.
Trust other people. Again, another strength of the Global Read Aloud is all of the people involved and everything they bring to the project So while it may have started as my idea, there are so many others now involved that it has evolved into true collaboration. Everybody adds ideas and it benefits everyone. Don’t be the only one making decisions, create a group to help plan and they will also spread the word.
Make it fun! Even if you are tackling serious subjects have an element of fun. We tend to get excited over things we can see our students get excited over. So whether it is the topic, the process, or how you will connect, do something that will bring out the smiles and cheers.

global, global read aloud, tools

5 Reasons I Love Using Edmodo in the Classroom

September 17, 2012 Pernille Ripp

Image representing Edmodo as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

I have long been a fan of Edmodo after it was introduced to me as tool in the Global Read Aloud. This free social network specifically aimed at students and teachers is a fabulous way to integrate social media into your classroom, as well as setting up ways to collaborate with other classrooms.

While there are many great tutorials on how to use Edmodo such as this one by Jason Bedell, it is really one of those sites that needs very little how-to explanation, which makes it ideal for any techie newbie out there. So here is my top 5 reasons for using this social network

Global collaboration made easy such as for the Global Read Aloud. We have different groups set up for teachers and small student groups. We love how easy it is for people to find each other, share resources, and even branch off on their own. This is our fastest growing site used in the GRA and parents can even be invited in to see everything we do.
It is free! Teachers love free things and particularly ones that are really well made. Edmodo is easy to use, easy to facilitate, and does not charge us a dime.
It is a great introduction to Facebook. I know this may sound strange but I love how closely Edmodo resembles Facebook without it being Facebook. Being a 5th grade teacher where students are legally not allowed to be on Facebook, Edmodo provides them with an opportunity to dabble in social media and getting used to using it well.
It is private! I love the ability to set up different groups and the ability to add students to them. I also love that this is something only teachers or administrators can do and not just anyone. I also love how we have control over who joins the group, connects with us, and how we communicate. You cannot find someone on Edmodo outside of it and yet it provides enough flexibility within its privacy that students can create meaningful collaboration.
It provides a direct pipeline to the teacher. I love that students can use Edmodo for informal as well as formal classroom work. My students often use it to ask for homework help, clarification, or just to boast of their latest achievement. They also use it to reach out to me privately with questions or concerns and I love this capability. Some students simply do not feel comfortable speaking to you about private things out in the open but this way they can contact me directly without anyone knowing.

Of course there are many more reasons, such as how easy it is to share resources, how it allows students to communicate with other classrooms and create polls, how parents can get a window into the classroom, and how I could use it to post and gather homework assignments. So this top 5 is just that; my top 5. Why do you love Edmodo?

being a teacher, conferences, global, global read aloud

The Global Read Aloud – My Session From The Global Education Conference 2011

November 19, 2011 Pernille Ripp

This week I had the thrill of presenting at The Global Education Conference on my passion; The Global Read Aloud. This 30 minute or so presentation was recorded, so if you would like to hear it “live” here is the link.

You can also see my slides below, I am not sure they will make much sense though without the audio. I tend to not do a lot of text.